Developments in volcanic ash affecting air travel

European Union forms panel to investigate impact of ash on European economies

Flights into and out of Newfoundland, Canada could be affected, Air Canada says

(CNN) -- Here are the latest highlights regarding problems for air travel caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

Ongoing:

-- The British Royal Navy will send ships to help bring home travelers who have been stranded by the restrictions on British airspace because of a cloud of volcanic ash, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Monday.

-- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso ordered formation of a group to study the impact of the volcanic ash cloud on the European economy and the air travel industry.

-- Airports have lost close to 136 million euros ($184 million) so far, said Olivier Jankovec, director general of Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, a group that represents airports. More than 6.8 million passengers have been affected, he said.

-- EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said Sunday if the ash cloud continues "moving as it moves, then tomorrow almost 50 percent of European (Union) space will be risk free." That would allow more flights to resume, he said. "But we'll see (Monday) what the picture shows."

-- The disruption is costing airlines at least $200 million a day in lost revenues, said Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the industry trade group International Air Transport Association. He told CNN on Monday that if flight restrictions continue, some small and medium-sized airlines could be put in jeopardy.

-- IATA criticized European governments "for their lack of leadership in handling airspace restrictions" and "urged a re-think of the decision-making process" for closing European skies.

-- About 5,000 flights took off Sunday in European airspace, according to traffic authority Eurocontrol. About 24,000 flights happen on most Sundays.

-- Results of test flights show "there's no impact" in European Union airspace from the volcanic ash that has disrupted air travel this week, according to the European Union's Secretary of State Diego Lopez Garrido.

Austria

-- Austrian airspace, including all Austrian airports, reopened at 5 a.m. local time Monday (11 p.m. ET Sunday), said the Austrian aviation agency Austro Control. It will continue to monitor the situation and has not ruled out another closure in the coming hours.

Canada

--- Flights into and out of St. John's, Gander and Deer Lake, Newfoundland, may be affected by volcanic activity, AirCanada said.

Denmark

-- There will be no flights in Danish airspace before 2 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Monday.

Finland

-- There will be no flights in or out of Finnish airports before 6 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) on Monday.

France

-- Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports will remain closed until 8 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) Tuesday by order of the French Civil Aviation Authority, Air France said on its website late Saturday.

-- All 16 airports in Spain were scheduled to reopen at 3:30 p.m. Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET) -- several hours earlier than previously expected, the government announced.

Sweden

-- The airspace north and west of the flight corridor from Stockholm to Gothenburg opened Monday morning. The airspace around Bromma Airport has also opened.

-- Scandinavian airline SAS canceled all flights over north European airspace on Sunday and Monday. It said a few domestic flights will operate in Norway. Flights departing from the United States on Sunday are not canceled but may be rerouted to Norway.

Switzerland

-- Switzerland is not permitting flights before 2 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) Monday, the government said.

Thailand

Thai Airways, based in Bangkok, estimates the cloud is costing the airline $3 million a day and has stranded 6,000 of its passengers.

-- Restrictions across British air space will remain in effect until at least 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) Monday.

-- British Airways canceled all flights in and out of London on Sunday and Monday, the airline announced.

-- The British government says it is looking at whether to draft in the Royal Navy to help people stranded by the current travel crisis.

Other countries

-- There are restrictions on civil flights across most of northern and central Europe. This swath includes Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Ukraine.